Is Mad Men Backing Off the 'Burbs?

Pete Campbell's photo Credit: Jordin Althaus/AMC

Now that we've all had some time to digest the end of Mad Men's fifth season—and don't read on if you haven't finished it (this is your official spoiler warning)—it's time to get indignant about it. Specifically, indignant about the way the suburbs are treated in the show.

When Mad Men premiered, one of the thrills of watching it was knowing that it was a local story. Don Draper—the heart of the show—has always had his flaws, to be sure, but he was ours—at least half the time. He had his life as an ad man in the city, but he came home to Ossining at night, and both locations were a part of him.

This season saw Don living in his Park Avenue apartment with Megan. That's fair. You can't keep your characters in one place forever. But Don's breakup with the 'burbs seems to be a particularly bad one, the kind where, even though you were together for a long time, you can't remember one good thing about the relationship.

Proof? When faced with going to dinner at Pete and Trudy's house, he responds with a curt, "Saturday night in the suburbs—that's when you really want to blow your brains out."

Photo courtesy of AMC

Ouch, Mad Men. We used to have such fun together.

In this breakup, Don walks away with a hot, young, almost annoying hip wife; a cool apartment; and a shorter commute. What do we get?

Fat Betty, for starters. At the end of last season, she and Henry up and move the family to Rye. But, after that, it seems the show has really backed away from showing the Francis clan's life there. Gone are that antiquing trips in Tarrytown. We never got to see if little Bobby went to Playland or not.

So, while Betty's life in the 'burbs is still a mystery to us, who are Mad Men's great suburban representatives? Pete Campbell and Howard Dawes, two Metro-North commuting buddies that truly deserve each other. If you wanted evidence to support Don's claims that the suburbs make you want to off yourself, you don't need to look much further than these two. It's fitting, then, that the last episode of the season has them getting into a fistfight with each other and getting tossed off the train. In Harrison.

What did you think of this season? Should suburbanites be offended? Let me know in the comments.

Westchester's Pop Culture

About This Blog

Marisa LaScala

Elmsford, NY

Articles Editor Marisa LaScala joined Westchester Magazine in 2003, and ever since she's blown every paycheck at the Greenburgh Multiplex. She also staunchly defends Richard Kelly, doesn't mind spoiling the endings of trashy movies you're curious about but don't want to pay to see, wishes the Hold Steady would come and rock out Westchester, misses Arrested Development more than anyone can imagine, and still watches cartoons and Saturday Night Live. You can find more of her cultural criticism at www.popmatters.com, where she is a staff writer.